Apparatus for operating electric switches



'No. 6|5,388. Patented Dec. 6, |898. C. HARTDEGEN. APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

(Application filed July 30, 1897.)

{No Model.)

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*lllllllllllllllllllllkllllllll lNvENToR: QHALES HAH-EDEGEM;

WITNESSES:

Nb. s|5,888. Patented nec. 6,1888.. c. HARTDEGEN.

APPARATUS FOR PERATING ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

(Application filed July 30, 1897.)

(N o Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNEssl-is: INVENTOR:

W @M8888 Mmmm;

No. masas. Patented nec. 6, |898.

c. HARTDEQEN.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING'ELECTRIC SWlTCHES.

v (Application filed July 30, 1897,;

iNo Modelq 3 Sheets-"Sheet 3.

i g l! Il lllllll WITNESSES: INVENTORI @W @Mm @a1/@L55 HAnmgQm AT ORNY UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HARTDEGEN, OF NEWARK, NEIV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR OPERATING ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,388, dated December 6, 1898.

Application filed July 30, 1897. Serial No. 646,442. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HAETDEGEN, a citizen 0f the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Operating Electric Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

This invention has reference to a novel means for automatically operatin g an electric switch eitherto make or break the circuit at any previouslydetermined time; and the main object of my invention is to construct an electric switch controlling or operating mechanism provided with a suitable timepiece and its train of gear mechanism or movement by means of which the electric switch may either be automatically closed at any desired hour during the day to complete an electric circuit and said switchagain automatically opened at a later time to break the electric circuit or said mechanism may be made'to simply complete a circuit through the switch, the circuit being afterward broken by hand; or, if so desired, said mechanism may be arranged and operated to break the circuit by causing said switch to be automatically opened at the time desired.

The purpose of the device or apparatus is to enable a storekeeper to properly set the clock mechanism during any hour of the day, and by means of -the apparatus automatically close an electric switch in a lamp or other electric circuit to light the lights, and later on at any desired hour to automatically open the switch in said electric circuit, whereby the lights are extinguished. It will thus be seen that'by this means a storekeeper can leave his storebefore dark and in the evening the light-swill be turned on and out without re- A quil-ing the presence of any person, which is of great beneiit to the storekeeper, especially on holidays, when the store is closed, but the windows, as is the custom, are to be lighted in the evening. The apparatus will also greatly reduce the consumption of electricity for lighting purposes, and hence there will be a great saving in cost, for instead of necessitating the burning of the lights during the entire night when the storekeeper desires to have his display-windows illuminated after the store is closed for the day the lights can safely be left burning and the apparatus set to turn them out at any previously-fixed hour during the night.

The invention therefore consists in such novel arrangements and combinations of parts and the minor detailsof construction, all of which will be fully described in the accompanying specification and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

The several features of the invention and the various advantages resulting therefrom will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which- Figure l is a face view of an apparatus embodying the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same with the several parts o'f the switch-operating mechanism and the switch-lever in their operative positions, showing the switch open; and Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the several parts of the switch-operating mechanism and the switchlever in their operated positions, showing the switch closed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the clock or timepiece and mechanism connected therewith, said section being taken on line a3 in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a cam sleeve or hub for operating the switchlever and causing the switch to be opened; and Fig. G is a similar view of the forward end of said lever. Fig. 7 is aface view of an apparatus embodying the principles of my present invention, but which can only be used to open the switch; and Fig. S is a side view of the same. v

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the above-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In said drawings, A indicates the ordinary clock-casing, which is secured in a suitable opening or directly upon a baseboard b, carrying any desirable construction of electric switch, as C. As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 4, the train of gear-wheels, together with the lever and balance, is of the usual clock construction and is indicated by IOO the reference -letter A. Said casing A is preferably provided with a suitable disk a, having a central opening in which is suitably secured a frame a' and dial a2, provided, as will be seen from Figs. l and 7, with the hournumerals and the hour and minute hands a3 and a4, respectively,both of which are secured in the usual manner upon the arbor a5. In said plate or disk a is also a small dial a, and a7 is the winding-arbor, on which is the barrel containing the mainspring of the clock and the wheel for setting the train of gears in motion, while as indicates a similar arbor for winding a spring and is actuated by the usual devices connected with the small pointer a9 on the dial a6, so that whatever iigure on said dial is made to come opposite the small pointer, set as a tail to the hour-hand, an alarm mechanism of the clockis let off at that hour and operates said arbor a8 until the spring connected therewith runs down. Secured upon said winding arbor or stem a7, by being screwed thereon or in any other wellknown manner, is a winding-key d, having at its free end a diskelike head or plate d', from which extend from its lower surface and encircle said key-stem d a number of helical coils d2, the purpose of which will be more fully set forth hereinafter. Secured in a like manner upon the alarm arbor or stem a8 of the clock mechanism is a disk or plate or bar e, having an annular edge or rim e', which is made in the manner of a cam, as at e2, and is provided with an offset c3, substantially as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 5. In the present construction said plate or bar e is provided with a screw-threaded socket e4 for securing it upon the threaded end of the said arbor as. From an inspection of the several figures of the drawings it will be seen that said cam-shaped hub formed by said plate or bar e and its annular edge or rim e is used in place of the ordinary winding-key or finger-piece for winding the spring and alarm mechanism connected with said arbor as.

The electric switch C may be of any wellknown construction, that illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3 comprising a base c and a pair of binding-posts c and c2, with which are respectively connected the circuit-wires g and g. Pivotally attached to said posts o and c2 are the respective contact plates or arms c3 and c4, adapted to be brought down into the slotted end portions of a pair of contact-posts c5 and c6, whereby a complete circuit is established through wire g, post c, plate c3, post o5, post c, plate c4, post c2, and circuit-wire g when the switch C is closed. Connected wit-h the free ends of said plates or arms c3 and c4, by means of bolts c7 or in any other suitable manner, is a cross-bar es, made of a non-conducting` material. Said bar o8 has secured thereto in any well-known manner a forwardlyprojecting bar or arm f, provided with the bent partf and a finger portion f2,

which is slotted in the end and has pivotally arranged in said slotted end on a suitable pin f3 a movable dog or pawl f4. Said dog or pawl is provided with a perforated ear or lug f5, to which is attached a spring f6, substantially as illustrated in the several iigures of the drawings. The opposite end f7 of said spring is secured to the part f of said arm f, and when said dog or pawl f4 is not in operative engagement with one of the coils d2, connected with the plate d', as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, then said spring will cause it to stand in the position represented in Fig. 6 or in the dotted outline in Fig. 8, and said arm f and the parts connected therewith can be moved back and forth to close or open the electric switch C by hand, as will be clearly evident. To cause the automatic closing of said switch, the clock mechanism is wound up by means of the plate CZ', connected with the key or stem d, in the usual manner of windin g a clock and the dog or pawl f4 caused to engage with one of said coils d2, as clearly shown. If the clock is wound at or near twelve oclock and it is desired that the switch shall be closed at six oclock in the evening, to complete the circuit and start the lights said disk d' and its coils in winding the clock are turned into such a position that the dog or pawl f4 will rest at a mark indicated by the numeral 6 on one of said coils, as indicated in Fig. 2, which means that it will take six hours for said disk and coils to turn in sliding contact with the dog or pawl f4 until the end d3 of the last coil is reached, as represented in Fig. 3. This sliding engagement between the said dog or pawl f4 and the slowlyturning coils d2 causes the arm f and parts connected therewith to move toward the baseboard b in t-he direction of arrow y, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) and at the expiration of the six hours the contact plates or arms c3 and c4 will have been brought into positive contact with the posts c5 and c6, as represented in said Fig. 3, and a complete circuit through the light-wire is established by this automatic closing of the switch C. As soon as the end cl3 of the last coil has passed over the dog or pawl f4 the spring f will cause the said dog or pawl to assume its inactive position, (indicated in said Fig. 6;) but the switch C will still remain closed and the lights still burn. Said coils d? are provided with other marks, als (1,77 62?) 5(3)?? 4&4, 645,7) i 7,?? 8, 9, &c., with which the said dog or pawl f4 can be brought in contact according to the time of the winding of the clock meehanism and the number of hours it has to run before it is intended that the switch C shall be automatically closed. Thus it will be evident that the operator can properly set thc pawl or dog f4 in contact with one of the coils according to the time of winding of the clock mechanism and the hour when it is intended that the lights shall be lighted.

In order that the switch shall be again IOO IIO

vzo

opened and the lights in the circuitautomatically extinguished-say, for example, at eleven oclocl -the small pointer a9 is set to the number Il on the dial a of the ordinary alarm mechanism and the arbor as wound by means of a turn or two of the plate or bar eandit-s cam-shaped rim e,causing it to stand in Vthe position indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. At the proper time the alarm mechanism is set 0E in the usual manner and the arbor as set in rotation. This action will also cause the rotation of the plate or bar e and bring its cam edge e2 of the rim e in forcible engagement with the under surface of the arm f, whereby the latter and its parts connected therewith will assume the dotted positions indicated in said Fig. 3, and by the movement of said parts in the direction of the arrow y' (see said Fig. 3) the contact plates or bars c3 and c4 will be withdrawn from the slots in the contact-posts c5 and c6, whereby the switch is again opened, the circuit broken, and the lights are extinguished, as will be clearly understood.

Thus it will be evident that by setting` the small index-hand a9 opposite any gure on the dial a6 the contact-switch C can be operated at any other desired hour and the lights extinguished without necessitating the presence of a person at the time.

From the above description it will be evident that the switch C can be operated by hand, if desired, or by means of the apparatus can be automatically closed at any predetermined hour, or by not causing the engagement of the dog or pawl f4 with one of said coils d2 the switch can be closed during the night, or the apparatus may be used to automatically close the switch at one time and after the lapse of some time said mechanism operating to again open the switch.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have illustrated another modified form of construction of operating device 71whi`ch is secured on the arbor as. of the alarm mechanism of the clock and which can be made to engage with. a suitable switch lever or arm r1, connected with any one of the well-known forms of electric switches, as C', for breaking the circuit. The operation of these parts will be clearly evident and understood from an inspection of said Figs. 7 and 8.

It will be evident that my novel form of apparatus for automatically controlling or operating electric switches can be put to many other uses, and owing to the simplicity of the construction of the several parts of the mechanism the device is cheaply made and cannot get out of order, being perfect in its operation for automatically closing or opening the electric switch with which it is connected.

I am fully aware that many changes may be made in the several arrangements and combinations of the parts comprised in the several mechanisms herein set forth, as well as in the details of the construction thereof. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the parts land the construction thereof as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination,with an electric switch, of a timepiece, its train of gear mechanism, its winding-arbor, and a helix on said arbor and means connected with said switch in engagement with said helix for automatically actuating the switch mechanism and closing the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination,with an electric switch having a contact-plate and an arm extending therefrom, of a timepiece, its train of gear mechanism, its winding-arbor, and a helix on said arbor engaging with said arm on the contact-plate to actuate the same to close said switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an electric switch, the combination, with a contact-plate, an arm extending therefrom, and a spring-actuated dog or pawl on the said arm, of a timepiece, its train of gear mechanism, its windingearbor, and coils (Z2 connected with said arbor engaging with said dog or pawl to actuate said arm and contactplate to close said switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In an electric switch, the combination, with a contact-plate, and an arm extending therefrom, of the winding-arbor of a clock mechanism, and a helix on said arbor and means on said arm in engagement with said helix to actuate said arm and contact-plate to close the switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In an electric switch, the combination, with a contact-plate, and an arm extending therefrom,of a winding-arbor of a clock mechanism, and means connected with said arbor for actuating said arm and contact-plate to close the switch, consisting, essentially, of coils d2 connected with said arbor and a spring` actuated pawl or dog on said arm of the contact-plate in engagement with said coils, substantially as and for the purposes set fort-h.

G. The combination,with an electric switch, of a timepiece, and its alarm mechanism, the winding-arbor of said mechanism, and a helix on said arbor and means connected with said switch in engagement with said helix for automatically actuating the switch mechanism and opening the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination, with an electric switch having a contact-plate and an arm extending therefrom, of a timepiece, its alarm mechanism, the winding-arbor of the clock mechanism, and a helix on said arbor in engagement with said arm on the contact-plate to actuate the same and close said switch, and a cam-shaped hub on the arbor of said alarm mechanism in engagement with said arm to IOC IIO

open said switch when the alarm mechanism is released, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

S. In an electric switch, in combination, with a contact-plate, an arm extending therefrom, of a timepiece, its alarm mechanism, the winding-arbor of said cloclcy mechanism, and a cam-shaped hub on the arbor of said alarm mechanism in engagement with said arln and a helix on said winding-arbor to open said switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In an electric switch, the combination, with a contact-plate and an arm extending therefrom, of a timepiece, its alarm mechanism, the winding-arbor of said clock mechanism, a helix on said arbor, a winding-arbor of the alarm mechanism of a clock, and means connected with said arbor, consisting, essentially, of a plate or bar c on said arbor, and a cam-shaped rim thereon, engaging with said arm to actuate said contact-plate to open said switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

l0. The combination, with an electric switch, of a timepiece and its train of gear mechanism, a helix connected with said mechanism and means connected therewith and engaged by said helix for automatically closing said switch, and means connected with the alarm mechanism of said timepiece, acting independently to open said switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ll. The combination, with au electric Switch, of a timepiece, its train of gear mechanism, its winding-arbor, a helix on said arbor and means connected therewith and engaged by said helix to actuate the switch mechanism to close the switch, the alarm mechanism of said timepiece, the windingarbor of said alarm mechanism, and means connected therewith acting independently to actuate the switch mechanism and open the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

I2. The combination, with an electric switch, having a contact-plate and an arm extending therefrom, of a timepiece, its train of gear mechanism, its winding-arbor, a helix on said arbor engaging with said arm on the contact-plate to actuate the same to close said switch, the alarm mechanism of said timepiece, the winding-arbor therefor, and means connected with said arbor adapted to engage with said arm on the contact-plate and actuate the same to open said switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

13. In an electric switch, the combination, with a contact-plate, an arm extending therefrom, and a spring-actuated dog or pawl on said arm, of a timepiece, its train of gear mechanism, its winding-arbor, coils (l2 connected with said arbor engaging with said dog or pawl to actuate said arm and contactplate and close the switch, the alarm mechanism of said timepiece, the winding-arbor thereof, and a cam-shaped hub on said arbor, engaging with said arm to open said switcll, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

14. In an electric switch, the combination, with a contact-plate and an arm extending therefrom, of the winding-arbor of a clock mechanism, means connected with said arbor for actuating said arm and contact-plate to close the switch, consisting, essentially, of coils cl2 connected with said arbor and a spring-actuated pawl or dog` on said arm of the contact-plate engaging with said coils, the winding-arbor of the alarm mechanism of the clock, and means connected with said arbor, consisting, essentially, of a plate or bar e on said arbor, and a cam-shaped rim thereon, engaging with said arm to actuate the contact-plate to open said switch, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

l5. In a clock, for the purposes stated, the combination, with the arbor a7, of a windingstem d having coils d2, a switch mechanism, and means connected with said switch mechanism in engagement with said coils to actuate said mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

1G. In a clock, for the purposes stated, the combination, with the arbor a7, of the winding-stem d, a winding-disk d' and coils connected with said disk and encircling said Stem, a switch mechanism, and means connected with said switch mechanism in engagement with said coils to actuate said mechanism, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of July, 1897.

CHARLES HARTDEGEN.

Witnesses:

FRED K. C. FRAENTZEL, WM. H. CAMFIELD, Jr.

IOO 

